7. Sherwood Brown – Florida Gulf Coast
Florida Gulf Coast was a complete afterthought when Brown committed there, arriving on campus way back in 2009. A 6’4 guard from Orlando, he was a marginal contributor who turned into a star as a senior, but he didn’t just get onto this list for one fantastic senior season. He’s certainly here because of what those Eagles did his senior year and his contribution to the program.
His contributions increased each season, though Brown was just a role player for those first two seasons. After shooting 46% from 3 in limited chances, he earned more of a role in his final seasons, averaging 12.8 points per game as a junior. As a senior, Brown averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, helping to do the unthinkable in leading 15-seed Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet Sixteen, including a 24-point performance in their first-round upset over Georgetown.
Brown was named the A-Sun Player of the Year during that final season, and that was before he and Florida Gulf Coast went on that historic run in the NCAA Tournament. He led the conference in points and defensive rebounds and certainly had a better than expected impact on this program, helping to put them on the map. He’s spent the near decade since playing professional basketball, most recently playing in Canada.